I have recently become concerned about doing DIY in my new house due to asbestos. The house is a 1970s bungalow and i know the ceiling artex and floor tiles and floor tile adhesive contain Chrysotile (white asbestos).

The thing is, i keep reading things saying do not drill etc. however I am wanting to install a stud wall over part of a room which will mean drilling through the floor tiles and adhesive into the concrete so i can screw the soleplate of the wall into the floor.

In some respects I have almost scared myself silly about doing anything in the house because of the need to do things with the asbestos conaining materials.

BUT another part of me thinks millions of homes had asbestos in the ceilings and floors and people drilled into the ceilings for lighting etc (probably over half of all ceilings have been drilled into for this!) and no doubt great numbers have ripped floor tiles up etc. Of course, if someone jumped off a bridge, you wouldnt follow them, but I need to balance health and wellbeing with practicallity.

Your thoughts would be appreciated as I want to erect my stud wall and at some point i'll be wanting to put new lighting etc in.

It is my understanding that almost all artex and most floor tiles had asbestos in pre 1980 and possibly even after this. My concern is that I dont want to harm myself. However my thinking is that i am being over cautious. There must be 10 million homes with asbestos in them and at least 50% of those must have had their ceilings drilled to fit lights or their vinyl floor tiles drilled to fit door bars for carpets etc etc.